Within the circle of light, all else ceases to exist but flame and shadow.
Cheryl
It hadn’t been my intention to disobey Gabriel, but I wanted to offer him the same relief he’d just given me. At least, that was the lie I was telling myself. The truth was, I wanted the code, and I wanted to entertain the idea of being a naughty girl. I wanted options, and I couldn’t have a choice if I couldn’t leave when I wanted. I even figured I wasn’t responsible for my actions, since he called me a naughty brat all the time. I blamed him for creating the monster, not me. In the end, logic won out, and instead of sneaking out, I stayed put.
A noise in the apartment woke me.Gabe must be home, was my first thought, but something felt wrong; he wouldn’t try to be quiet. He’d want me to know he was here and would havecome to kiss me. I threw on my clothes and tiptoed out of the bedroom, following the rustling sounds.
Someone in black was inside the apartment, and it wasn’t Gabriel. Shit, shit, shit. I’d forgotten to lock the elevator. I tiptoed back as quickly as possible to enable the emergency protocols Gabriel had discussed with me. Gabe had a spare set of keys in his nightstand. I grabbed them and moved silently through the bedroom to the walk-in closet, where a hidden panel and staircase would take me down to his garage.
I checked my phone; the last text message was at 2:00 a.m.
Gabriel:An issue at work; I won’t be home for a while. Be good!
It was now three a.m. Damn, I needed him. I knew the plan, but I had a bad feeling. These must be my father’s men, sent to find me, drag me somewhere, and sell me off to the highest bidder. Well, I’d be damned if I’d just lie down and allow him to use me. I rifled off a quick text to Gabe, informing him that two men were in the apartment. Then, I made my way down the stairs to the parking garage and peeked through the door to ensure no one was watching the elevator. No one was there, not even Gabriel’s two-man security team. What the...
I closed the door silently behind me and, ducking down, scurried to the closest vehicle, a black Alpha Romeo. A perfect getaway car—dark and made for speed—and I’d actually driven one before, so I was vaguely familiar with it. Getting in, I locked the doors and pressed the button for the secret garage door. When it opened, I started the car and sped up the ramp and out into the pre-dawn night.
Once I was a safe distance away, I pulled into a parking lot to check my messages. Nothing from Gabriel. I called; it went straight to voicemail.
“Gabriel, I need some freedom and decided to try out Italy. I’ll be waiting for your call in familiar places.”
The drive back to my apartment gave me plenty of time to reflect. Meeting Gabriel and trusting him so completely was unfamiliar territory for me. My mind had reservations that my body thoroughly enjoyed ignoring. To Gabe, I was a total slut, and while I’d enjoyed sex before, nothing had ever come remotely close to what we shared. My body had fallen for him, hard, and my heart was quickly falling in line—maybe too fast, but wasn’t that how it always happened? The most significant things in life often arrived when you least expected or sought them out.
Gabriel had instructed me to circle the new location several times to check for any signs of compromise. After doing so, I parked a block away, entered my building through the side door, and used the new code Gabe had given me to get into my apartment. So far, so good. For an hour, I waited and watched, making sure I wasn’t followed or attracting unwanted attention.
Fueled by caffeine, my anxiety grew as I waited for word from Gabriel that he was safe. When dawn broke, casting light through my living room window, and I still hadn’t heard from him, I feared I would never see him again, and tears flowed freely.
This had to be my father’s doing. After what Gabriel had revealed—Senator Johnson’s illegal prostitution ring and his plans to sell me, I knew I was in danger. Then a text arrived from an unknown number.
Unknown:“No problem, darlin’, we’re landing and will see you soon. Stay comfy. Bryce.”
Gabriel had spoken about Bryce, had said he trusted him with his life, and so could I. Gabriel was okay. I could finally breathe.
My phone pinged again. This time it was my best friend, Maddie.
Maddie:“Cheryl, I’m on my way to your place. Please answer the door. I need to talk to you.”
I texted her back and started another pot of coffee. If she was coming to see me this early, something was seriously wrong. When she arrived, I locked the door behind her and reactivated the security system, then held Maddie in my arms.
“My goodness, what happened? Did he hurt you?”
“No,” Maddie sobbed. “It’s worse. It was perfect.”
I pulled back, confused. “What was perfect?”
“Please, Cheryl, I need coffee, and then I’ll tell you the entire story.”
I grabbed her a cup and gestured for her to sit. To my credit, I remained silent through her tearful story about her time with Mr. Perfect, Langden Ross. The truth was I wanted to smack her and tell her to stop being so paranoid! Seriously, she’d gotten what she wanted, and Langden was perfect for her.
Maddie’s parents were out to lunch, and she needed a strong, firm hand to guide her. I was happy that it wasn’t me for a change. Wasn’t that what I’d come to realize about myself? That my helpful veneer was a guise, a way to keep me safe all these years in my father’s cutthroat, politically charged environment?
Hadn’t I desired what she had, what Gabrielwas?
“I’m sorry, are you saying you found the perfect guy, and the sex is better than anything you could have hoped for?” Maddie nodded.
“And you’re afraid hemighthurt you at an indeterminate time in the future, so you ran away from him before it could happen?”
Maddie looked shocked. “Uh, no. Well, does it sound like that?”
